Colorado’s varied roadways are routinely used by legions of drivers, with vehicles of virtually every description negotiating road space and jockeying for position.
The state’s streets and highways are transportation lifelines essential to the movement of people and goods. Roads bring us to work, take motorists and passengers to grocery stores, libraries, hospitals and other venues, usher our kids to school and transport supplies.
In a nutshell, the corridors crisscrossing the state provide Colorado residents with an essential mobility.
But they also feature this as well: a lengthy laundry list of risks that spell ever-present dangers for individuals and families maneuvering through traffic.
Colorado vehicle accident causes: highly varied injury catalysts
Emergency personnel and law enforcers routinely respond to road accidents featuring notably diverse causes. One authoritative legal personal injury overview spotlights some of those catalysts, which prominently include these crash agents:
- Speeding and tailgating, which commonly feature in rear-end collisions and accidents at intersections
- Hit-and-run incidents
- Myriad distracting driving behaviors
- Impaired driving
This post takes a more detailed look below at that last bulleted entry, which commands special significance during key holiday periods.
Drunk driving downsides cannot be overstated
Here’s a question posed for readers: Just how serious is the problem of drunk driving in Colorado?
It’s likely that empirical evidence relevant to that query will provide an answer that proves flatly shocking to many.
To wit: Safety regulators state that nearly 170 Coloradans already died in driver-impaired crashes as of November 1 this year. That is tragic, of course, and rendered even more problematic because that fatality rate signifies a sharp upward spike from the previous year notwithstanding diminished traffic flow.
Here are some additionally telling points underscored in data recently released by the Colorado Department of Transportation and State Patrol officials germane to 2020:
- Noted jump in alcohol use on an “average drinks per day” basis
- Dramatic 26% rise in binge drinking episodes
Such data – showing elevated results in 2020, yet recurrently featuring each year – go far toward explaining the state’s heavy emphasis on anti-DUI initiatives during seasonal holiday periods. A prime example of such efforts is the periodically rolled-out “Heat is On” campaign. A recently concluded Heat enforcement effort involved participation from more than 80 police departments spanning Colorado.
Heightened scrutiny of dangerous drivers is a continuing imperative, given that their negligent behind-the-wheel behavior spawns catastrophic and deadly outcomes for other individuals and families sharing the road.
Questions or concerns that logically arise for an accident victim or family loved ones in the wake of a crash can be directed to a proven and empathetic personal injury legal team.
Here’s wishing happy holidays and safe driving throughout the winter season to all readers.
